Device for soaking corks.



J. 'D. MGINTYRE. DEVIGE FOR SOAKING CORKS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1914.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHoTo-LITHO.. wAsHINGruN. D c.

JOHN D. MCINTYRE, 0F EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR SOAKING CORKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 15315..

Application filed. April 25, 1914. Serial No. 834,542.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN D. MOINTYRE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Soaking Corks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for soak ing corks preparatory to the bottling of certain liquids such as wines and liquors.

In order to render corks sufliciently soft and elastic to be properly compressed into the mouth of a bottle and to make and hold a light seal, it is the practice to soak them in water; and heretofore, as far as I am aware, this has been done in an open tub or pail of water. The corks however are so light that they float high out of the water, and if a considerable mass of corks is put in the tub together many of them would never reach the water at all if they were not pushed down by the user by hand. Such momentary and intermittent immersions are quite unsatisfactory and insuflicient to give the corks the thorough soaking and saturation, which they require to bring them to the best condition. Furthermore, if the bottler, as is usual, immerses the mass of corks with his hand, each time he picks one up to put it in a bottle, the cork is taken from the tub dripping from the surface, though possibly drying the interior, and the water deteriorates the contents of the bottle to a greater or less extent.

With my invention the corks will be thoroughly soaked and saturated, without plunging them under water byhand in the present fashion, and will also be presented for use in soaked condition, but substantially free of surface drippings.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a cork soaking device containing my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of said device; and Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of the latch for the lid, hereinafter described.

A is an open top vessel, preferably having vertical cylindrical side walls. Said vessel may be made of sheet metal such as galvanized iron, or other suitable material. On the inner wall of the vessel A are a plurality of tiers or courses of supporting projections B, consisting as herein shown of short strips of metal arranged vertically, and secured to the walls of the vessel A by rivets Z), or by soldering.

C represents a removable screen or diaphragm, which extends transversely of the vessel, and is adapted to hold the corks submerged when the vessel is filled with water up to or above the level of the screen. The screen 0 rests upon and is supported by any of the several tiers or supports 15, so that the height of the screen in the vessel may be varied. Said supports are so aiu'anged as to hold the screen above the bottom and below the top of the vessel, so that there will be space below the screen for a mass of corks, while the vessel may be filled with water at least to the top of the screen, without overflowing.

The screen C is preferably of frusto-conical form, and may be of sheet metal, wire fabric, or other suitable material to hold a mass of corks submerged. As herein shown it is of sheet metal and comprises inclined or conical side walls 0, and a marginal flange 0, which rests on the supports B. The flange 0 is provided with notches a spaced to correspond with the supports B, which pass through the notches 0 when the screen is turned to bring the notches into register with the supports B, thus permitting the screen to be lowered to any desired tier of supports. The supports of the several tiers are preferably arranged in offset or staggered relation, as shown, and each tier acts as a look, when the screen has been lowered to the next tier below, to hold the screen against upward movement under the buoying influence of the corks, which might otherwise float the screen upward if their bulk were suflicient to sustain the weight of the screen. The screen C may be provided with handles D for convenience in manipulating it.

A central aperture is provided at the top of the screen, of relatively small diameter,

to which is hinged a lid E, also provided with a handle 6, and normally held closed by a latch or spring catch F. Holes 0 are formed in the conical walls 0 to permit the free passage of water therethrough, but too small to permit the passage of a cork.

In operation the corks are placed in the vessel, and the screen 0 inserted at the desired height according to the quantity of corks to be treated and the volume of water which it is desired to use. Even with a small number of corks the screen may be sup ported on one of the higher tiers of supports B and water filled in to the top of the screen but one of the advantages of having the screen adjustable is to enable a small volume of water to be used for a small number of corks,-a consideration which may be of importance when the water has to be carried by hand or when hot water is used and the supply is limited. After the corks have been kept submerged a sutlicient leng th of time to be ready for use, the lid E is opened, and the corks, tending to rise through the small central aperture, become jammed at the opening, permitting a few at the top to be forced clear of the water and presented for use soaked, but well drained, while the mass is held under water. As the corks are used one by one from the top of the jam, others from below gradually work their way up. After enough corks have been removed materially to lower the water level, so that any considerable portion of the mass floats out of water, the screen may be adjusted down-ward to rest onthe next lower tier of supports B, thereby keeping the mass submerged.

The under surface of the frusto-conical screen 0, which is inclined upwardly from the periphery or margin of the screen toward the central aperture, guides and directs the buoyant corks toward the aperture, and prevents any of them from becoming entrapped or caught at the side of the aperture, as would happen if the screen were flat. Moreover, the similarly inclined upper surface of the screen forms with the walls of the vessel an anuular trough Which admits an annular body of water above the screen and around the aperture when the vessel is filled with water up to the level of the top of the screen, so that if any cork or corks are pushed up through the aperture and fall to one side they will fall into the surrounding annular body of water on top of the screen and be kept wet.

I claim:

1. A device for soaking corks, compris ing an open top vessel, a transverse screen within said vessel, adapted to hold the corks submerged when the vessel is filled with water up-to or above the level of the screen, and means fixed to the inner side of the walls of said vessel to support said screen above the bottom and below the top of the vessel.

2. A device for soaking corks, comprising an open top vessel, a transverse screen within said vessel having an aperture therein, the under surface of which screen inclines upwardly from its periphery toward said aperture, adapted when the vessel is filled with water up to or above the level of the screen to hold the corks submerged and to guide them toward said aperture, and means to sup-port said screen above the bottom and below the top of the vessel. I

3. A device for soaking corks, comprising an open top vessel, a transverse screen within said vessel having an aperture therein, a cover for said aperture, both the under and the upper surfaces of said screen inclining upwardly from the periphery of the screen toward said aperture, adapted when the vessel is filled with water upto the level of the top of the screen to hold the corks submerged", to guide the corks toward said aperture, and to admit an annular body of water above the screen around said aperture, and means to support said screen above the bottom and below the top of the vessel.

A. A device for soaking corks, comprising an open top vessel, a transverse screen within said vessel, adapted to hold the corks submerged when the vessel is filled with water up-to or above the level of the screen, said screen having an aperture therethrough, a lid for closing said aperture, and means fixed to the inner side of the walls of said vessel to support said screen above the bottom and below the top of the vessel.

5. A device for soaking corks, comprising an open top vessel, a transverse screen within said vessel, adapted to'hold the corks submerged when the vessel is filled with water up to or above the level ofthe screen, and means fixed to the inner side of the walls of said vessel to support said screen at varying heights above the bottom and be low thetop of the vessel.

6. A device for soaking corks, comprising an open top vessel, a transverse screen within said vessel adapted to hold the corks submerged when the vessel is filled with water up to or above the level of the screen, a number of tiers of projections fixed to the inner side of the walls of said' vessel to support said screen at varying heights above the bottom and below the top of the vessel, and each tier of projections being adapted to lock the screen against upward movement under the buoying influence of the corks, when the screen rests on the next lower tier.

7 A device for soaking corks, comprising an open top vessel having cylindrical side walls, a plurality of tiers or courses of screen supporting projections secured Within the cylindrical Walls of the vessel at difierent heights, and a screen removably held in said vessel adapted to rest upon said supporting projections, said screen having marginal notches through Which said projections will pass whereby the screen may be supported on any of said tiers of projections.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 22d day of April 1914.

JOHN D. MCINTYRE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT CUSHMAN, FLORENCE A. COLLINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

